Call-distributing system.



H. P. CLAUSEN.

CALI. DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, I9l4.

1,136,508. Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHOTD-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, uv (I HENRY PETER CLAUS'EN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN OFTQE.

ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CALL-DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.,

Application filed FebruarylO, 1914. Serial No. 817,826.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY PETER OLAUSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Call- Distributing Systems, of which the follow ing is a full, clear, concise, and eXact description.

This invention relates to telephone exchange systems and more particularly to means whereby the calling lines are automatically connected to idle trunks entering an operators position, and is especially designed for the selection of trunks extending from a satellite to a central exchange where the operators are located.

The principal objectof this invention is to provide means whereby after an idle trunk has been selected the accidental release of the distributer switch'by the alteration of the circuitat the calling station or at the central station is reduced to a minimum.

In connection with the operation of partial calldistributing systems or exchanges of the satellite type where the calling subscriber seeks a non-busy trunk circuit entering a central exchange where operators are located, it becomes necessary to maintain the distributer switch on the trunk circuit. Means must therefore be provided whereby after a connection is .set up release will not be caused by a subscriber moving his receiver hook up and down to signal the operator or by the momentary make and break of the circuit at the centralofiice by the operators plug. The advantages of such an arrangement are obvious. In fact, that feature of non-release through the flashing or otherwise before the operator has taken down the connection is an almost imperative requirement of a call distributing system. In the drawing is shown so much of a system of this kind as is necessary to illustrate my invention.

Before proceeding with a the circuit, the finder switch will be briefly described.

shaft 1 having insulatively secured thereto the three-armedspider brushes 2, 3 and t. Secured to one end of the shaft 1 is a ratchet wheel 5 through which the shaft may be rotated step bystep by means of a stepping description of r This switch is of a type which is well known in the art and comprises a magnet 6 and armature pawl 7. A dog 8 is provided for preventing reverse rotation of the shaft. The spider brushes 2, 3 and 4; are adapted to traverse simultaneously their respective multiply connected line plates 9, 10 and 11 and the trunk terminals 12 and 13 and the test terminal 14%. The brushes of this switch are so arranged that one of the arms of the spider will at all times be in contact with one or the other of the plates 9, 10, 11, while another one of the brushes will be in engagement with terminals 12, 13, 14:. Thus no matter in what position the shaft 1 is placed, some one of the terminals 12, 13, lt will always be connected through the spiders to the line plates 9, 10, 11 respectively.

The operation of the system is as follows: Upon the subscriber at S removing the receiver from its hook, a circuit is closed from battery 15, through the left winding of line relay 16, left contact of cut-off relay 17, side Z of the line, the substation apparatus, side Z of the line, right contact of relay 17, and right winding of relay 16 to battery. Relay 16 is thereupon energized and completes a circuit from battery 15, through its inner contact, right winding ofrelay 18, winding of stepping magnet 6, outer contact of relay 16, and interrupter 19, back to battery. Due to the action of the interrupter 19 in this circuit, the stepping magnet 6 is alternately energized and deenergized, thus causing one of the brushes of the spider 4 to engage successive test terminals let associated with the several trunks through which the calling subscriber is adapted to be connected with the central exchange operator. The test terminals 14: of all busy trunks will be cut off from ground by the operation of relays 20. Only that relay associated with the selected trunk is shown in this diagram and the circuit therefore has been omitted as the present invention is not concerned therewith. hen by successive steps the shaft 1 has been rotated until one of the brushes of the spider 4 rests upon a grounded test terminal 14, a short circuit will be formed about the stepping magnet 6. This short circuit extends through the contacts 21, 22 of relay 18, conducting strip 11,

viously has not been energized will pull up,

attracting both its armatures. The attrac-s tion of its right armature will complete a circuit from battery 23, through the lower windin'g ofrelay 24, contacts 25 and 26 of this relay, the upper left winding of relay '24, right contact of relay 18, right contact of relay l7, and right winding of relay16 to ground. The contact 22 is a follow-up contact and in the attraction of the left armature of relay 18 a circuit will be completed from battery 15, through the right winding of relay 18, contacts 22 and 21, the left armature of relay 18,,the left winding of this relay, relay 27, and the cut-off relay 17 to ground. While the flow of current in 4 this circuit will be but momentary, it will be sufficient to energize relay 27, thusestab- .lishing a circuit from' battery 28, through the'left winding of relay 29, back contact of relay 30, the upper strand of the distributing trunk or outlet 31, contact 12, spider 2, plate 9, right contact of relay 27 the substation set at S, upper right winding of relay 24, left armature and contact of relay 27,v plate 10, spider 3, contact 13, lower a conductor of the outlet 31, right armature and contact of relay 30, right winding of relay 29 to battery. While current passes through the upper right winding and the lower winding of relay 24 in the opposite directions, the effect will be cumulative instead of neutralizing, due to the multiple 'magneticreturn paths provided by the fingers 42. Due to the energizingeifect of one or the other, or both, of the circuits just traced through the windings of the relay 24, this relay will be instantly energized, completing a circuit from battery 23, through the inner armature of this relay, contact 21, left armature of relay 18, left winding of this relay, winding of relay 27, winding of cut-off relay 17 to ground. Re-

lays 18 and 27 will be maintained energized.

and relay 17, if not previously energized by the circuit traced therethrough will be now energized, cutting off the relay 16 which, in releasing its armatures, will interrupt the circuit through the stepping magnet 6. The brushes of the finder switch will now have been brought to rest on the terminals of an idle outlet or trunk extending to an operators position at the central office.

,The relay 29 which was energized by the circuit previously traced therethrough has caused the signal lamp 32 to glow. The operator observing. this light will insert the plug 33 in the jack 34 and in the usual manner will associate her talking set (not shown) with the line, in order to determine the wants of the calling subscriber.

With a connection established through to the central operator as just described, we

will assume that the subscriber at S attempts reestablished.

across the sides Z and Z of the subscribers line at the substation by the depression of "down. The interruption of the bridge through the lower winding thereof from battery 23, through contact 25, outer armature of this-relay, contact and armature of relay 35 to ground. The winding of relay 35 is included in a circuit with an interrupter 36 and battery'37, and by means of this interrupter the relay is energized for a brief interval, say ,one fifth of a second every two or three seconds. Obviously, un-

less the interruption of the substation circuit should occur simultaneously with the energization of relay 35-and the interruption of the circuit through'the lower winding of relay 24, the moving of the subscribers switch hook will be without effect. If, however, they should overlap, boththeholding circuits through relay'24 being interrupted, the relay will .become deenergized and its armatures will fall baclr. Uponv the contact 25 engaging contact 26, a circuit will be completed from the live pole of battery 23, through the lower winding of relay 24, j contacts 25 and 26, theupper left winding 1 of this relay, right armature'and contact of relay 18, right armature and'contact of relay 27, plate 9, spider'2, contact 12,-upper conductor of the outlet 31, the tip contacts of the jack and plug to ground. Relays 18 5 y and 27 being madeslow-acting'will not release during this brief interval and relay 24 will receivean impulse which will cause its armatures to be again attracted, As the V interrupter 36 will have by this time interruped the circuit through relay 35, the previously described holding circuit through the lower winding of relay 24 will now be Thus, it may be seen that with a connecting lug in the answering jack at the central 0 ce, relay 24 cannot remain deenergized for a length of time sufficient to permit the slow release relays 18 and 27 to drop 05 and release the switch.

We will now assume that the operator, for any reason whatsoever, momentarily removes the plug 33 from the jack 34. Obviously, this will be without effect unless the tip contacts of thejack andplug are separated at the instant the relay 35' is energized.

Upon the removel of the plug, the relay 30,

which was energized by'the insertion of the plugin the jack, will become denergized' and .the previously traced 'circuitthrough' 28, through the left winding of relay 29, contact 12, spider 2, plate 9, side Z of the subscribers line, substation apparatus, side Z of the subscribers line, upper right winding of relay 24, plate 10, spider 3, contact 13, right winding of relay 29, back to battery, thus maintaining the relay 24 energized.

When the plug 7 33 was inserted in the jack 34, a circuit was completed from battery 38, through supervisory relay 39, ring contacts of the plug and jack, contact 13, spider 3, plate 10, left contact and armature of relay 27, upper right winding of relay 24, side Z of the subscribers line, substation apparatus, side Z of the subscribers line, armature and contact of relay 27, plate 9, spider 2, contact 12, the tip contacts of the jack and plug, back to battery 38. Relay 39 is thus energized, causing through its armature a shunt about the signal lamp 40, a circuit of which lamp may be traced from battery 41, through said lamp, the sleeve contacts of the plug and jack, and relay 30 to ground. WVhen disconnection is desired, the subscriber at S will place his receiver upon the hook, thus interrupting the circuit through relay 39, the armature of which will fall 0E, interrupting the short circuit about the supervisory lamp 40 and causing said lamp to glow. The operator upon noticing the signal will remove the plug 33 from the jack 34. Now when the circuit is completed through relay 35, the holding circuit through the lower winding of relay 24 will be interrupted and its armatures will fall ofi. As both of the previously traced holding circuits through this relay are now interrupted, it will remain deenergized, thus allowing the holding circuit through the relays 18 and 27 to remain open. These relays will thereupon become denergized and all of the apparatus associated with the finder switch will have returned to its normal position.

Instead of making the relays 18 and 27 slow to release, the same efi'ect may be obtained by so adjusting the armatures and contacts of relay 24 that upon release, contact 25 will engage contact 26 before the inner armature has left its contact. This can be accomplished by making the contact of the inner armature a follow-up contact as shown in the drawing. Thus the holding circuit through relays 18 and 27 will not beinterrupted until the armatures of relay 24 have been fully retracted. Obviously only one of the above described expedients need be employed at a time.

' From the preceding description it is now obvious that the release of the finder switch can occur only when the substation circuit is interrupted and the plug is removed from the jack at the time when the relay 35 is momentarily energized. As relay 35 is energized for only a brief interval every two or three seconds, the chances of accidental release are thus reduced to a minimum.

. What I claim is:

1. In a telephone system, an incoming line, outgoing lines, a switch for automatically connecting the incoming line to an idle outgoing line when a call is originated upon said incoming line, and means whereby the subsequent alteration of the incoming line will be without effect on said switch, except at definite separated intervals.

2. In a telephone system, an incoming line, outgoing lines, a switch, means operative upon closing a bridge across the conductors of the incoming line for causing said switch to automatically connect said line to an idle outgoing line, a relay, a circuit for said relay, an interrupter for intermittently breaking said circuit, and means whereby the opening of the bridge across the conductors of said incoming line will be without efiect on said switch unless the open period overlaps the period of interruption of the circuit through the winding of said relay.

3. In a telephone system, an incoming line, outgoing lines, a switch, means for causing said switch to automatically connect the incoming line to an idle outgoing line upon the closure of a bridge across the conductors of said incoming line, a relay for controlling the release of said switch, a winding on said relay, an interrupter for intermittently breaking the circuit of said winding, and means whereby the interruption of the bridge across the conductors of said incoming line will be inefi'ective to cause the release of said switch, except when such interruption occurs simultaneously with the interruption of the circuit through the winding of said relay.

4. In a telephone system, an exchange, an incoming line extending thereto, a switch at which said line terminates, trunks extending from said switch, means for causing said switch to select an idle trunk and connect said line thereto upon closing a bridge across the conductors of said line, means for extending said trunk, a bridge established across the conductors of said trunk thereby, an interrupter, and means whereby said switch may be released only if both of said bridges are open, when said interrupter functions.

5. In a telephone system, an exchange, an incoming line, outgoing lines, a switch at said exchange, means for causing said switch to automatically connect said inco1ning line to an idle outgoing line upon the closure of a bridge across the conductors of said incoming line, a relay controlling the release of said switch, a circuit for said relay, an interrupter for intermittently breaking said circuit, and means whereby release of said switch canbe effected only by simultaneously opening the bridge across the conductors of said incoming line and the circuit through said relay.

6. In a telephone system, an exchange, a switch at said exchange, a subscribers line terminating at said switch, outlets extending from said switch, means for causing said switch to automatically connect said incoming line to an idle outlet upon the closure of a bridge across the conductors of said incoming line, a link circuit, means for connecting said link circuit to said outlet, a relay controlling the release of said switch, a

7. In a telephone system, a relay, a circuit for said relay, an interrupter for momentarily interrupting said circuit to cause the release of said relay, and contacts actuated upon the release of said relay for interrupting said first named circuit and com pleting a second circuit, whereby said relay will be reenergized to again establish said first named circuit.

8. In a telephone system, an exchange, a subscribers line extending to said exchange, trunk lines extending from said exchange, a switch for automatically connecting said subscribers line to a trunk line upon closing a bridge across the conductors of said subscribers line, a relay, a pair of windings on said relay, a circuit for one of said windings extending through the bridge on said subscribers line, a local circuit for said other winding, and an interrupter for momentarily breaking said local circuit.

9. In a telephone exchange system, a satellite exchange, a subscribers line extending to said satellite, trunk lines extending from said satellite to a central exchange, a

switch, means whereby upon the closure of a bridge across the subscribers line said switch will automatically connect said line to a trunk line extending to said central ofiice, a link circuit at said central oflice', means for connecting said link circuit to said trunk, a relay at said satellite, a pair of windings on said relay, a circuit for one of said windings extending through said substation bridge, a local circuit for said other winding, an interrupter for momentarily breaking said local circuit, means whereby the interruption of said bridge and said local circuit simultaneously will cause the release of said relay, and contacts actuated in the release of said relay for completing a second circuit through said second winding to cause said relay to be reenergized, whereby the local circuit through said winding will be reestablished.

10. In a telephone exchange system a sat ellite exchange, a'subscribers line extending to said satellite, outlets extending from said satellite to a central exchange, a distributer switch, means operated upon the closure of a bridge across'the conductors ofsaid s'ub scribers line for causing said switch to automatically connect said line to an idle.outlet, a link circuit at said central exchange, means for connecting said link circuit with said outlet, a relay for controlling the release of said'switch, a pair of windings on said relay, a circuit for oneof said windings extending through said bridge, a local circuit for said other winding, an interrupter for momentarily breaking said local circuit, said relay being released upon simultaneously opening said bridge and said local circuit, contacts actuated upon the release of said relay for interrupting said local circuit at a second point and for closing a circuit of said relay to ground through a portion of said link, whereby said relay will be'reenergized to again establish the local circuit therethrougl.

11. In a telephone system, an exchange, a switch thereat, an incoming line terminating at said switch, trunk lines extending from said switch, means operated upon the closing of a bridge across the conductors of said line for 'causingsaid switch to select an idle trunk and connect said line thereto, a connecting device for extending said trunk, an interrupter, electromagnetic means controlling the release of said switch, and circuits for said electromagnetic means controlled by said'bridge, said connectingde vice and said interrupter, whereby disconnectionof said incoming line from said trunk may occur only if said bridge is open and said connecting device is disconnected from said trunk at the time said interrupter functions. 7 v

12. In a telephone exchange system, an, automatic switch, an'incoming line and a plurality of outgoing lines terminating thereat, a circuit controller associated with the incoming line for governing the initial operation of said automatic switch to establish aconnection between said incoming line and one of saidoutgoing lines, a circuitcontroller associated with said outgoing line, a periodically operated circuit controller, and an electromagnet controlling the disconnection of said incoming line from said outgoing line depending for its operation upon the simultaneous operation of all of said circuit controllers.

13. In a telephone system, an automatic switch, an incoming line and a plurality of outgoing lines terminating thereat, a circuit controller associated with said incoming line for governing the initial operation of said automatic switch to establish a connectionbetween said incoming line and one of said outgoing lines, a connecting device for extending the circuit of said outgoing line, a periodically operated circuit controller, an electromagnet controlling the subsequent operation of said automatic switch, and circuits for said electromagnet controlled through said connecting device and said circuit controllers, whereby disconnection can occur only when said connecting device is disassociated from said outgoing line and both of said circuit controllers are operated.

14. In a telephone system, an automatic switch, an incoming line and a plurality of outgoing lines terminating thereat, a bridge across the conductors of said incoming line, a hook switch controlling the continuity of said bridge, means whereby said automatic switch will be actuated to connect said incoming line to an outgoing line upon the closure of said bridge, a connecting device for extending said outgoing line, an interrupter, a relay controlling the release of said automatic switch, and circuits for said relay controlled by said bridge, said connecting device and said interrupter, whereby said incoming line may be disconnected from the outgoing line only when the hook switch is open and the connecting device disassociated from said outgoing line at the time said interrupter functions.

15. In a telephone system, an exchange, a switch thereat, an incoming line and a plurality of outgoing lines terminating at said switch, a hook switch associated with said incoming line, means operated upon the closure of said hook switch for causing said automatic switch to connect said incoming line to an idle outgoing line, a connecting device for extending said outgoing line, an interrupter, and circuits controlling the release of said automatic switch to disconnect said incoming line from said outgoing line, said circuits being governed by said interrupter and extending to said hook switch and said connecting device, whereby disconnection can occur only when said hook switch is open and said connecting device is disassociated from said trunk at the time said interrupter functions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 7th day of February A. D., 1914:.

HENRY PETER CLAUSEN.

Witnesses NANoN E. TUTHILL, M. V. CONA'IY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0, 

